Hiatus...

Here's a little update for everyone. Degrees of Life will be taking a Hiatus until Sunday, October 30th, 2011. These next 2 weeks we will have no new posts. We are trying to figure out some things and a new schedule and to replace a girl or two.

So, if you'd like to join our team. Go to the page tab that says JOIN US.

Sunday, October 30, 2011 will be the the theme Cities.

Sorry for the inconvenience to all of you!

We love you!

xo
Stephanie

Holy Cow

I love to read. Lately I've been getting more into memoirs. Some Girls by Jill Lauren I just finished and I am now reading Holy Cow by Sarah Mac Donald. Both books involve girls going abroad and their misadventures. Jill Lauren's books is by far a more interesting read, but I'll keep an open mind about Mac Donald. Augusten Boroughs and Diablo Cody also have great memoirs.

But by far my favorite authors in fiction are Lisa See and Wally Lamb. I think they both manage to portray their narrative females convincingly.  See's books I'm sentimental for because they often are about friendship and how important it is. Her heroines go through many hardships, but their bond is what keeps them strong through to the conclusion.  Lamb surprised me, I'll admit. Never have I read a book, written by a man, that made such a convincing female character- narrative-wise, as he does. My favorite books by him are She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True. Both are fantastic reads! IKTMIT is 900 or so pages, but I couldn't put it down!

I just started a GoodReads account. I think this is the right link to mine My list isn't complete yet, but if you have an account- lemme know! I'm always looking for new books. C:

Side note: anyone doing anything for Halloween?

<3 Tiff

It's England Baby

I know we usually have a theme we follow every week, but this week I absolutely have to write about the good ol' UK! I've been living here for a little less than a month and it has already been the most amazing experience of my life.

Plymouth, England- Lighthouse by The Sound

I'm spending the year abroad here in Plymouth- one of the most southern bits of England located right next to The Sound. Actually, the first group of settlers aboard the Mayflower launched from Plymouth! It is the 14th largest city in England and is rich with culture, scenery and historical and modern sites alike. 

I'm studying Media Arts at the university here and I couldn't be more in love with my course. I get credit for making pinhole cameras, taking pictures, making silly videos, writing stories and having craft time! I have already learned so much in the span of a few short weeks and I can't wait to see what is in store for me the rest of this year...

Rolland Levinsky Building- University of Plymouth

I never realized what terrible stereotypes are placed on Americans until I came here until one day in class a girl asked me if my life is really like 90210. I'm not saying that people here hate or even dislike Americans...on the contrary! For the most part they really like America and (some) Americans as a whole. We are described as "fun, loud, sometimes rude, extremely opinionated, and a little naive." I don't think that is a bad or wholly untrue way to sum us up, do you? 

Is This How Americans View The World?

Unfortunately coming here made me realize just how uneducated I actually am about the world. The one bad thing about the American education system is that it tends to focus primarily on the US and the US alone. What about the rest of the world, though?! I have learned so much about geography, world beliefs and politics, stereotypes, wars, and the view of America since coming here. Let me just say: It has been an eyeopening experience. 

Well, that's just a little bit of background on my visit/experience here so far. Next time I will tell some exciting stories and show a little of my photography that I've been working on whilst here! Enclosed below is a picture of myself and some of the members of a club I joined here at the Uni! Can you spot me??

Plymouth Windrider's Club- "Colours" Night!

xoxo Mel

Authors

I decided to write about Authors this week. Now when I first saw this as a possible theme I immediately thought to write about one of my favorite authors. When today finally came, I didn't know how to pick my favorite author because I have so many favorites. So, instead of talking about a specific author... I decided to write about different authors and what it's like being an author (not that I am a published author, other than this site, but I do write and would like to have my stuff published).

For starters, I recently join this amazing site: Book Blogs and let me tell you, I have met quite a few fellow bloggers and it's only my fourth day there. However, there is an actual story to tell you. I became friends with this girl, Emlyn. She is having this blog tour that I will be participating in. It includes a whole lot, but what I will be doing is featuring all of it on my new blog where I write book reviews and so much more. I think this is an amazing idea. It not only promotes her self-published novel but it also lets her get to know awesome people and let her fans/readers get to know her more. I'm definitely recommending this as a must for fellow writers/authors to do this for your own works of art.

Secondly, ever since I started this new blog ("Little Red Reads"). I have a deeper love for writing. This is a whole new world for me (yes, a disney reference, haha) in the aspect of writing reviews and having contests and gaining other writers/authors as friends. It makes me want to write and finish my writings (and my collab book) even more!

I know this is short, but there's a lot of information here and I do have to get ready for work. However, there is one more thing I'd like to touch base on... Tracey and I have been having some trouble with this site and some of the members that participate on this site. We have been thinking that maybe we have to take a VERY short hiatus and get this blog up and running better and smoother. Also, we are still taking in applications for new members, GO HERE for what to do.

Hope you all have a wonderful week
xoxo
stephanie

Time, time, time... have you got any?

It's sorta funny. The shortness of this blog is related to the fact that this week I have been entirely too busy. Well not that bad, but more than usual. I have had a lot of occasions come up last minute. It's one of those things where you really think you have a lot more time to do things that you really don't have time for. But the last few days I feel like time has been blooming out of nowhere. I felt as though I was going to have no time to do anything. But really I was able to fit in a lot more than I thought I would. It seems as of late...it is always the opposite of what I think.

Sorry this is so short. I have an incredible need to go to sleep right now because I have a super long weekend! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Passionate about this topic

In my ideal world everyone would be so fortunate to lose their virginity with someone they have passion for. It's a moment everyone will remember, it's one of the many "firsts" people have. Sex is a taboo topic for many, which I respect. My best friend spat out her drink over a lunch meet-up when I told her about my previous retail occupation, which I talk a bit about later.

Passion is important. I don't think passion is a synonym for lust.  Passion, to me, means to have a deep love for something or someone.  But first hearing 'passion' and 'virginity' the two seems so distant. Virginity gets a bad rap, and it shouldn't.  Too many people rush into having sex. Which is their choice. But it saddens me when boys and girls out there feel pressured to lose their virginity to 'fit in', only to regret the decision. If you feel ready or unready- trust your gut and don't succumb to peer pressure because no one lives your live but yourself.

I realize that not everyone is comfortable talking about passion in terms of sexual activity. My old job involved the sale of "adult novelties" and it was actually a joy to help people find that passion again. They still had love for their partners, but the spark dimming. And apparently it's common enough to base a whole industry around to enhance and rekindle that type of passion. Just like how I feel that virginity should not be shamed, I don't feel like people acting on their sexuality-related passions should feel shamed.

Hope everyone enjoys the holiday weekend!

<3 Tiff

PS. Nikita is amazing! Love that show!<3

Passion Doesn't Have to Be Sexy (Asian Americans in Television)

Here are some things I will talk about today:

• The Glee episode "Asian F" 
• Asian Americans in television and film 
• Disney 

Here are some things I won't be talking about (extensively anyway):

• virginity 
• sex

First off, I'm just not comfortable talking about sex.  I firmly believe that nobody is fully, completely, and totally comfortable talking about sex.  There is a taboo about it and I am 100% under its control.  I don't like talking about anyone's virginity or sex or anything related to genitalia for that matter unless you have a yeast infection and need me to go pick up your medication or something.  Okay.  End of that matter.  Just not comfortable.  End of story.

I do, however, love to talk about my passions.  I am never happier than when I'm watching a television show I like or introducing a television show to someone and watching them laugh or become interested, and then all of a sudden I'm improving their life.  Like just today I was watching Angel (Buffy spin-off) and our guests lingered for about 10 minutes just watching it because it was so engaging.  I was so pleased.  I love TV.  I love movies.  I love when TV and movies feature Asian Americans.  I even cut Glee some slack because it has Mike Chang (Harry Shum Jr.), and I watch it every week even though it constantly breaks me heart.  I am so passionate about TV that I let Glee break my heart weekly with the way it portrays Asian Americans.  TV breaks my heart a little but at the same time mends it weekly with some progress and set backs in terms of Asian Americans.  That's my thing.  That's my passion. 

I was so happy when Nikita renewed.  You should all watch it so it gets renewed again.  Girl power!

Spoiler alert.  This week's episode of Glee called "Asian F" would lead you to believe that the episode would focus solely on Mike Chang's conflict with his parents.  Success at Harvard or dancing, being an artist? Mike's very Chinese American parents (well his dad anyway) want him to give up dancing and the glee club so that he can focus on his grades so he can get into Harvard.  Ohnoes he got an A- THAT'S A FAILING GRADE.  It was so stereotypical and insufferable, I was so embarrassed.  Then after a few minutes of Mike Chang Footloose-ing it out in a dance studio room his mom came in and said everything was going to be peachy.  I think Mike Chang's exciting "background story" lasted 10 minutes out of a 42 minute episode.  I was so disappointed. 

But it's not all bad.  Glee just has its cocky head up its butt right now.  Blaine (Darren Criss) and Coach Beiste are really the only consistently good elements, but I firmly believe that anything remotely good automatically makes the viewing worth it.  And oft times just one Asian American character on a tv show is enough to make me loyal to it.  Take Pretty Little Liars for instance.  So many people make fun of me for watching it, but did you know that one of the main characters who was supposed to be this red-headed wasp lesbian (who didn't need to be white in the tv show) is actually this gorgeous Filipina-Canadian? Progress. 

Filipina-Canadian Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields on Pretty Little Liars

So here's a list of TV shows I feel everyone should watch for the Asian-descent/ Asian American characters, mostly because I hope that this will boost viewership and prevent the eeky studios from cancelling them.  :3

• Nikita (lead character Nikita played by gorgeous Maggie Q) 
• Terra Nova (British Sri-Lankan actress Shelley Conn plays Elizabeth Shannon)
• Pretty Little Liars (Shay Mitchell as Emily Fields) 
• Community (Danny Pudi as Abed, Ken Jeong as Señor Chang) 
• Modern Family (you should watch this amazing show anyway, but the gay couple's Asian daughter Lily is adorable, AND she's growing up) 

Is it really sad that I was imagining that list to be longer? Anyway, that's what I'm passionate about--that's what my life revolves around.  I love TV, and I love being Asian American, and I hope one day I'll make an impact on the film industry where it will treat Asian Americans nicer (see: basically all of Hollywood history where Asian American actors were discriminated against, but if you want to look at the one film that screws them all, check out the travesty that is The Last Airbender).  I could write a whole, beefy post about what I find wrong with The Last Airbender. 

Anyway, it's 4 in the morning.  Bed time for me.  Tata!~

xoxo

- Nerd Girl